Why You Must Do the Tough Stuff First

Every entrepreneur has a list of things they have to do, but wish they didn’t. Human nature tends to put off doing those things we don’t enjoy. Avoid pain, pursue pleasure. It’s a bad strategy that really doesn’t help us in the long-term.

A few years back I was working on a project with a global banking head, who appeared to work 24/7, but was always calm and in control. I asked him how he managed to work such punishing hours yet seem as though he was on vacation. He gave me a long list of useful tips, but the one that really hit home was ‘I do the tough stuff first’.

When you get those dreaded tasks out of the way first thing in the morning, a couple of positive things happen. Firstly, you immediately feel better as that unpleasant feeling in the pit of your stomach has gone. Secondly, now that you have dealt with your challenging tasks, you feel ready to take on the world. Far better than going through your day feeling as though you’re dragging a ball and chain round your ankle.

Founder of The Pitch Clinic, Martin Soorjoo is a pitch strategist. He coaches entrepreneurs world-wide, helping them launch and raise funding. Prior to founding The Pitch Clinic, Martin spent 15 years as a former award winning attorney. He has worked with start-ups and investors, including senior investment bankers, venture capitalists and angel investors. During this period Martin raised several million dollars, including negotiating one deal worth $75 Million. This experience has equipped him with unique insights into the challenges start-ups face and how investors make decisions. He is a Certified Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and an expert in body language.